Arrests made in the wake of clashes between migrants on Lesvos

Police on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos detained 18 foreign nationals in connection with Monday evening’s widespread violence at the Moria “hotspot” on the island, with nine of the 18 later charged with various misdemeanors.

Groups of third country nationals, based on their ethnicity, clashed with each other in and around the temporary shelter, which was set up to accommodate thousands of people that have continued to land on the Greek island from neighboring Turkey.

Widespread damage was reported at the Moria camp, where fires – set by the rioters — destroyed much of the infrastructure.

Two separate marches by Third World nationals were also stopped from entering the island capital of Mytilene by riot police.

The third country nationals, many identified as Mideast war refugees and claiming to hail from Syria or Iraq, numerous others from Afghanistan, as well as would-be economic migrants from North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, landed on the island in a bid to continue to mainland Greece, and from there on to preferred destinations in western Europe.

What initially erupted as a refugee crisis a year and a half ago in the Aegean also led to irregular migrants joining the refugee flow.